Pasenadi

From Bharatpedia, an open encyclopedia


Pasenadi
Raja
Pasenadi
Prasenajit of Kosala pays a visit to Buddha
ReignKosala
QueenMallika, Magadhan princess, Vāsavakhattiyā
IssueJeta, Virudhaka, Princess Vajira
DynastyIkshvaku
FatherSanjaya Mahākosala
Procession of Prasenajit of Kosala leaving Sravasti to meet the Buddha. Sanchi[1]

Pasenadi (Sanskrit: Prasenajit) (c. 6th century BCE) was an Aikṣvāka dynasty ruler of Kosala. Sāvatthī was his capital. He succeeded after Sanjaya Mahākosala.[2] He was a prominent Upāsaka (lay follower) of Gautama Buddha, and built many Buddhist monasteries for the Buddha.

Life[edit]

Pasenadi studied in Taxila in his early life. He was the king of Kosala (modern Oudh or Awadh).[3] His first queen was a Magadhan princess. His second queen was Vāsavakhattiyā, daughter of Mahānāma, a Sākya by a slave girl Nāgamundā. Though she was a slave girl not the original daughter of Mahanama[further explanation needed]. From this marriage, he had a son, Viḍūḍabha and a daughter Princess Vajira, whom he married to Ajātaśatru (Pāli: Ajātasattu).[3] His third and chief queen was Mallika, daughter of the chief of garland-makers. He married his sister Kosala Devi to Bimbisara.[4]

Once, while he was away from his capital Shravasti, his minister Dīgha Chārāyana placed his son Viḍūḍabha on the throne. He went to Magadha to seek help from Ajātaśatru in order to regain his throne. But before being able to meet him, Pasenadi died of exposure outside the gates of Rājagṛha (Pāli: Rājagaha).[5] He was succeeded by his son Vidudabha.[6] The Puranas instead of Viḍūḍabha mention the name of Kṣudraka as his successor.[7]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. Marshall p.59
  2. Raychaudhuri H. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.90,176
  3. 3.0 3.1 Sastri 1988, p. 17.
  4. Upinder Singh 2016, p. 271.
  5. Raychaudhuri H. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, pp.176-8,186
  6. Sen 1999, p. 107.
  7. Misra, V. S. (2007). Ancient Indian Dynasties, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, ISBN 81-7276-413-8, pp.287-8

Sources[edit]

Preceded by
Mahākosala
Ikshvaku dynasty ruler
BCE 534
Succeeded by
Viḍūḍabha
Information red.svg
Scan the QR code to donate via UPI
Dear reader, We kindly request your support in maintaining the independence of Bharatpedia. As a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on small donations to sustain our operations and provide free access to reliable information to the world. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to consider donating to our cause, as it would greatly aid us in our mission. Your contribution would demonstrate the importance of reliable and trustworthy knowledge to you and the world. Thank you.

Please select an option below or scan the QR code to donate
₹150 ₹500 ₹1,000 ₹2,000 ₹5,000 ₹10,000 Other